Road surfacing plane



March 5, 1940.

W. C. TOASPERN ROAD SURFACING PLANE Filed Aug. 12, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. flz'wfzaszem ATTORNEY.

March 5, 1940.

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Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITE iv;

rFicEv ROAD SURFACING PLANE Walter C. Toaspern, Barryville, N. Y.

Application August 12, 1938, Serial No. 224,456 I 1 Claim.

in either the repair of old or the laying of newv road surfaces.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel construction of drag plane comprising, a semi-rigid frame upon which are adjustably mounted longitudinally spaced sets of substantially transverse flexible metallic brush blades; the members of said brush blade sets being variously angularly disposed relative to the longitudinal axis of the drag plane in such manner as to cause combined longitudinal and lateral move ments of loose material within the width limits of the drag plane, whereby said material is uniformly distributed and smoothly spread over the road surface, and also thoroughly mixed when comprising aplurality of materials, without producing any substantial amount of side spill or the formation of windrows.

This invention has for another object to provide, in a drag plane of the kind described, a novel arrangement of successively spaced brush'blade' sets, the members of alternate sets being disposed relation, whereby loose surfacing material is caused to flow, while also moving longitudinally,

alternately outward and inward relative to the longitudinal axis of the drag plane, but in such manner as to be retained within the limits of the width of the latter.

The invention has for a furtherobject to provide, in a road drag plane of the kind men tioned, metallic brush blades formed by rows of suitably spaced steel brush bristle tufts of desired flexibility, thereby to provide and present to the road surface operated upon relatively narrow, semi-rigid, non-clogging cutting edges, while at the same time, owing to the spacing of the bristle tufts. forming a blade structure which will more efficiently both mix and spread loose materials.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

An illustrative embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of a road drag plane made according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a front in laterally divergent and laterally convergent end View of the same; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view, taken on line 3-3. in Fig. 1, but drawn on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 4 is. a fragmentary sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 1, but drawn on a further enlarged scale.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to said drawings,ythe novel drag plane comprises a rectangular body ,frame preferably comprising a plurality of laterallyspaced longitudinally extending frame members comprising channel bars lflz,disposed with their side flanges H upwardly projecting. Said frame members are secured together by cross members l2which extend across the channel bar ends. Said cross members also preferably comprise channel bars. The intersecting portions of said frame and cross members are suitably fastened together, as by rivets, bolts or like fasteners l3. r

rality of sets of fiexible'metallic brush blade 1 members. a carrier or backing bar M, the same preferably consisting of a channel bar disposed with its side flanges 15 downwardly. projecting. Individually demountably secured to the backing bar I4 between its flanges l5 are rows of spaced metallic tufts l6 afiixed in butt sleeves H, the latter being engaged with and suitably secured to said backing bar 14, so that said bristle tufts depend from the latter. The bristle tuft elements of one row are preferably disposed in suitably staggered relation to those of the other row. The bristles are preferably made of steel strips or wires of suitable length and flexibility. In detail construction per se and in method of attachment to the backing'bar I 4, said bristle tuft elements preferably correspond in kind to those disclosed in my copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 217,645, filed July 6, 1938.

Said brush blade members are arranged in sets, each set comp-rising a pair thereof. These sets are disposed in longitudinally spaced apart relation, with the members of alternate sets arranged in laterally divergent and laterally convergent relation. In preferred arrangement, a first set of brush blade members A is affixed to Each brush blade member comprises the forward end portion of the body frame, with its members extending in rearwardly and outwardly inclined angular divergent relation from the inner meeting ends thereof which are aligned substantially with the longitudinal axis of the body frame. The rows of bristle tuft elements carried by the brush blade members A terminate short of the outer side limits of the body frame, thus providing within these limits outlying free material passage spaces A between the ends of the brush blades formed thereby and the sides of the body frame. The second set of brush blade members B is spaced rearwardly of said first set thereof, and is afiixed to the body frame with its members extending in rearwardly and inwardly inclined angular convergent relation from the sides of the body frame toward the center thereof. The rows of bristle tuft elements carried by said brush blade members B extend from points at the sides of the body frame but terminate short of the central portion of the latter so as to provide a central free material passage space B. The third set of brush blade members C is spaced rearwardly of said second set thereof, and the members thereof are arranged in rearwardly and outwardly inclined divergent relation similar to the described arrangement of the members of setA, and so as to provide outlying free material passage spaces 0 between the outer ends of their rows of bristle tuft elements and the sides of said body frame, A fourth set D of brush blade elements is affixed across the rearward end portion of the body frame in rearwardly spaced relation to the set C, and is affixed to the body frame with its members extending in shallow angularly convergent relation to meet at the center of the body frame. The rows of bristle tuft elements carried by the members of said set D are of full length, so that together the same extend across the entire width of said body frame.

It will be obvious that the number of sets of brush blade members may be varied and may comprise either more or less than the number thereof above described.

In mounting the brush blade members upon the body frame, the backing bars M are disposed back to back relative to the frame bars l0. Means are provided for securing the backing bars M to the frame bars H] in such manner that the spaced and angular relations of the former are subject to desired adjustment. A preferred means for this purpose comprises a perforate clip plate I 8 disposed to bridge over the upper side of frame bar l0 so as to straddle the point of intersection thereof with a backing bar. Coupler bolts l9 are provided, the same having at their lower ends gripping hooks 20 to engage over the downwardly projecting flanges I5 of said backing bars. The upper threaded end portions of said coupler bolts l9 are passed through the perforations of said clip plate !8, being thereupon adapted to receive fastening nuts 2|, which, when screwed home, draws the intersecting portions of the frame bar and backing bar into strongly clamped together relation (see Fig. 4).

Suitable means are provided at the forward end of the drag plane for drawing the same over a road surface to be treated. This means may include eye-bolts 22 aflixed to the front cross bar l2, to which draft chains 23 or the like may be connected.

When using the novel drag plane for scarifying pitted surfaces of old roads, the same is dragged over the road surface, by horse. tractor or like operating power, so that the brush blades contact with and work upon the road. surface material. As the plane advances over the road surface, the multiplicity of flexible steel bristle tufts act upon the surface with scarifying effect operative to cut down the high spots and thereupon distribute the loosened material over the surface so as to fill the same into the low spots, and thus bring the road surface to a normal and substantially uniformly leveled condition. Due to the novel arrangement of the brush blades in successive sets of alternately divergently and convergently disposed members which are further arranged to provide, at the ends of respective sets, outer and inner material clearance spaces leading from one set to the other, and disposed within the lateral limits of the body frame, the loosened material is caused to partake of a combined lateral and longitudinal movement within the width limits of the area of the body frame. This results in a highly eflicient distributive spreading and leveling of the loosened material, without side spill outwardly of the body frame or the formation of windrows which must either be collected or subsequently spread to the detriment of uniform leveling of the road surface. In the operation, as thus carried on, the first set of brush blades A, in producing and working over the loosened material by the action of the flexible bristle tufts, permits some of the material to work through the spaces between said bristle tufts, while other portions thereof are moved more or less laterally outward along the divergently inclined brush blades so as to spill through the outer spaces A to discharge in the path of movement of the succeeding convergently inclined brush blades B. Again the material is worked by the bristle tufts of saidbrush blades B, together with additional material loosened by the action thereof, so as to work through and between the same, while the excess is moved more or less laterally inward along the same to spill through the inner space B for discharge in the path of movement of the next succeeding divergently inclined brush blades C, being in similar manner worked by the latter, and finally discharged in the path of the last set of brush blades D which, since they extend across the entire width of the plane, operate to produce a final leveling distribution of the material.' By this novel action the loose material is quickly deposited where needed in required quantity, while at the same time the excess is evenly distributed and spread over the road surface, so as to provide the desired uniformly leveled road surface condition.

By reason of the unique arrangement of the brush blade sets, and due to the flexibility of the steel bristle tufts making up the same, it is possible, by use of the novel drag plane, to economically and practically effect repairs to road surfaces where it is undesirable to break the existing bond, as e. g. in connection with water bound macadam, oiled surface treatment, stabilized soil surfaces, stone base roads, etc. When working on such surfaces, the drag plane will, without damaging the surface, completely and uniformly effect the distribution of stone, stone and oil or miscellaneous repair material in a most efficient manner. For example, when it is desired to apply a top dressing of fine stone, gravel or the like together with oil or a bituminous binder, such material may be roughly spread upon the road surface and thereupon worked by moving the novel drag plane theretogether and to the road body so as to form a desired new or repair top dressing The novel brush blade elements, comprising rows of metallic bristle tufts of desired flexibility, provide semi-rigid, non-clogging cutting means for operative presentation to the road surface so as to efiect a highly efiicient scarifying action, the intensity of which may be varied by substituting heavier or lighter tuft units. The tuft units being individually replaceable relative to the backing members makes repair of the brush blades a very quickly and easily accomplished task.

I am aware that various changes could be made in the above described constructions, and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the following claim. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

A drag plane for the purposes described, comprising a body frame formed by pairs of longitudinally extending laterally spaced frame bars disposed at opposite sides of its central longitudinal axis, and cross bars joining said frame bars at the ends thereof to provide a flexible structure, a plurality of brush blade members carried by each pairof longitudinal frame bars, each blade member comprising a backing bar having rows of metallic bristle tuft units aflixed thereto for downward projection therefrom, means to adjustably affix said brush blade members respectively to and bridging across the members ofsaid'pairs of frame bars with their backing bars arranged back to back with the latter,vsaid brush blade members as thus carried being arranged to provide successivelyspaced transverse sets disposed between the front and rear ends of the body frame, the members of alternate sets being angularly disposed in relatively divergent and convergent relation, and so as to respectively provide within the width of said body frame outer and inner material spill spaces to discharge loose material from an ad- Vance set into the path of the brush blades of a succeeding set, whereby said material is caused to move longitudinally and laterally Within the side limits of the body frame and Withoutapprecialole side spill exteriorly of the latter, a first set moving the material outwardly, a second set moving the material inwardly, a third set again moving the material outwardly, the members ofsaid respective sets being disposed in acute angular relation, and a final set for moving the material inwardly, the members of said final set being disposed in obtuse convergent angular relation.

, WALTER C. TOASPE-RN. 

